Epic of Gilgamesh: • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSZg5DTW7Hw&feature=related

The Chaldean Empire• 612 B.C. – 538 B.C.

• Known as The Neo Babylonia Empire

• Suffering under the Assyrians, the city of Babylon finally rose up against its hated enemy, the city of Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian empire, and burned it to the ground.

• Conquered the Phoenicians.

• Forced a large part of the Jewish population to relocate. Numbering possibly up to 10,000, these Jewish deportees were largely upper class people craftspeople. This deportation marks the beginning of the Exile in Jewish history.

• Near one the ruler’s palaces were the famous Hanging Gardens built by King Nebuchadnezzar II.

The Hittites• 2000 B.C.

• Lived in Central Turkey

• Their culture was greatly influenced by the Babylonians

• They were the first to make iron tools and weapons, thus credited with starting the Iron Age in Western Asia.

• There were many miles between the city-states and many city-states maintained their own language and religions.

• The city-states often fought among themselves until Labarnas became king.

The Hittites• Made peace with Ramses II

of Egypt in the 1st Peace Treaty.

• Warlike People.

• One the earliest people to ride horses.

• Their laws were considered the fairest of the time. Their law tried to compensate the person who was wronged.

The Assyrians• 100 BC. - 612 B.C.• Named after its original capital Ashur.• Were the first to outfit armies entirely with iron weapons. (career

= soldier).• For 500 years they terrorized the region, earning a lasting

reputation as one of the most warlike people in history.• They used chariots, which allowed them to move quickly. • They terrorized by employing cruelty & violence. They dammed

the rivers leading into Babylon. • Women had to be veiled when they appeared in public.• They divided their empire into provinces, which had their own

governor that was responsible to the king. Founded one the 1st libraries

The Persians• In 539 B.C., Babylon fell to the Persian

armies of Cyrus the Great. (Iran)

• The Persians were tolerant of the people they conquered.

• The real unification was accomplished under Darius, who ruled from 522–486 BC

• He divided the Persia into provinces, each headed by a governor called a satrap.

The Persians• By setting up a single Persian

coinage, Darius created economic links.

• Zoroaster guided religious beliefs and also helped unify the empire. He rejected the old Persian gods. Instead, he taught that a single wise god, Ahura Mazda, ruled the world.

The Phoenicians• 1200-800 B.C.• Prospered on the Mediterranean coast north of Palestine.• Their chief cities were Tyre & Sidon. They gained fame as

sailors & traders• From a tiny sea snail, they produced a widely admired purple

dye, called Tyrian purple. This became their trademark and the favourite colour of royalty.

• The words Bible & Bibliography come from the Phoenician city of Byblos.

• Replaced the cuneiform alphabet of 550 characters with a phonetic alphabet, based on distinct sounds, consisting of 22 letters.

The Hebrews (Israelites)• They recorded events and laws in the Torah their most

sacred text.• History and religion are interconnected.• The male leader of the Hebrews was Abraham (2000 B.C.).

He changed people’s belief in many gods to one God called Yahweh.

• They lived near Ur and in 2000 B.C., they migrated, herding their flocks of sheep and goats into a region known as Canaan (later called Palestine).

• The Book of Genesis tells that around 1800 B.C. a famine in Canaan forced many Hebrews to migrate to Egypt (led by Jacob’s son Joseph). There, they were eventually enslaved.

• In time, Moses, the adopted son of the pharaoh’s daughter, led the Hebrews in their escape, or exodus, from Egypt.

• David’s son Solomon, turned Jerusalem into an impressive capital. He also tried to increase Israel’s influence by negotiating with powerful empires in Egypt and Mesopotamia.

• The kingdom of Israel paid a heavy price for Solomon’s ambitions. His building projects required such heavy taxes and so much forced labour that revolts erupted soon after his death about 930 B.C.

• David’s son Solomon, turned Jerusalem into an impressive capital.

• King Solomon won praise for his wisdom and understanding.

• The kingdom of Israel paid a heavy price for Solomon’s ambitions. His building projects required such heavy taxes and so much forced labour that revolts erupted soon after his death about 930 B.C.

The Hebrews (Israelites)

The Lydians

• 8th Century B.C. to 546 B.C.• Known for their coins (made of gold and

silver), which became the first monetary system in the ancient world.

• Great traders that sparked a commercial revolution.

• Croesus, the king, was thought to be the richest king in the ancient world.